Councilwoman criticized for calling cops terrorists

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A controversial North Carolina councilwoman is coming under more criticism for a Twitter post that compares law enforcement officers to terrorists.

Local news outlets report Charlotte city councilwoman LaWana Mayfield tweeted on March 26 that being black in the U.S. under President Donald Trump “has created homegrown terrorist (cq) wearing blue uniforms.”

Mayfield answered critics calling for her resignation Thursday.

“I have and continue to be one of the strongest supporters of law enforcement,” she tweeted, “but I will NOT turn a blind eye to corruption, assaults, and the killings of unarmed black and brown people. If you are offended by my comments and not the situation YOU need to re-evaluate.”

The tweet about police preceded a call by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney to the city council in April to raise pay to address a shortage on the force. The Fraternal Order of Police has asked for a 15 percent base pay increase and a reduction in the number of steps needed for officers to reach full pay.

In April, Mayfield posted on her Facebook page a link to an article regarding 9/11 and saying she’s waiting for someone to produce pieces of the “alleged plane that opened the doors for US citizens to (lose) all privacy rights.”